Streets of Heaven
by Walkinthegarden
Summary: Based on the song of the same name: Rebecca Chase is dying, and House doesn't know how to feel about that.


**Streets of Heaven**

"Wilson!" House yelled as he neared the already agitated doctor. "Are you so insensitive you won't slow down for a cripple?"

"What do you want House?" Wilson demanded as he spun around to face the older man.

"Testy today are we? Patient dying?" House asked nonchalantly. He didn't really care but it would be good leverage for later.

"You are horrible House. I'm about to go tell the mother of a ten year old girl that her daughter has three days left at the most. The kid has been in the hospital since she was eight years old. I'm sorry if I actually have a heart!" Wilson yelled as he turned towards the children's ward.

House rolled his eyes before following him. "Well, what's she got? Leukemia?"

"Don't you have a case to attend to?" Wilson asked, clearly agitated with House.

"Not really, one year old boy diagnosed with Reyes Disease. He's got a few years to go before he dies and most of the time will be spent getting treatments that won't work. Weird, did you're patient's mom have years to say good bye to her daughter?"

"House!" Wilson yelled as he spun around to face the crippled man. "Sarah has watched her daughter suffer for over a year and everything she's gone through, everything Rebecca's gone through has been for nothing!" Wilson looked livid as he stepped towards House, "It didn't even extend her life, Sarah will have to pay bills for years, for treatments that didn't work and made her child's life miserable. I thought even you had a little compassion," Wilson stated before continuing towards room 304.

House didn't follow or call after him with a snide comment as he turned to head back to his office.

When he arrived he spotted Cameron and Chase arguing in the conference room, well more like Cameron was yelling and Chase was taking it. It seemed like Chase had had enough however.

"Fine, I won't bother anymore. She will always come first Cameron and if you can't accept that then you'll be a terrible parent!" Chase yelled before storming out.

House quickly hid behind a vending machine as Chase stormed by. He followed him as Chase walked down the hall with determination, all the way to the children's ward. Not ready to be caught, House retreated into the shadows when he saw a beautiful young woman with long golden hair and dark blue eyes. She ran right into Chase's arms and cried. He didn't say anything as he held her close to him. She eventually pulled back and looked up into his eyes.

"She's dying Robbie, three days at best," the woman cried as she let out a sob. House couldn't help but notice her thick Australian accent.

"I know Sar, I know," Chase whispered as he kissed the top of her head.

"I can't lose her Robbie!" she cried as she fell onto one of the hallway chairs.

"How is Rebecca taking it?" Chase asked as he kneeled down before the distraught woman.

"She's sad, but she wants you to keep her company. She wants me to go home, take a shower, and sleep. How can I do that? Three days Robbie!"

"Listen Sarah, she's got three days to go. You are going to exhaust yourself to fight sleep, you need to sleep."

"Robbie…" she started, unaware of the medical needle Chase had slipped out of his pocket. He pulled her into a hug, popping off the cap. When she put her head on his shoulder he stuck her with it. House saw her eyes go wide as she started to pull back, but it was too late. Within seconds she collapsed in his arms. Chase threw the needle into a medical waste bin and picked her up bridal style.

"Dr. Chase!" A nurse yelled as she ran over to him. "Get a gurney! What happened?"

"I had to give her a sedative, she was going hysterical," he said calmly as he laid her down on a gurney. "Put her in a spare room till she wakes."

"What name should we put on the chart?" the nurse asked.

"Sarah Chase," he said before entering the room that held _Rebecca_.

When the cost was clear House went to the doorway and peaked his head in, careful to remain out of sight. He could see the back of Chase's head leaning over a hospital bed, but the occupant of the bed was obscured by the light blue privacy curtain.

"Hey Becca," Chase said with a soft smile as he kissed her forehead.

"Hey, you sent mama home?" a young Australian girl asked, her voice raspy.

"No, you know your mum, she wanted to stay so I had to give her a sedative," he said with a smile as he removed his lab coat and sat on her bed. Rebecca let out a chuckle before being serious.

"How do you and mama take it?" Rebecca asked. "You guys already lost Karen and now I'm going to die."

"Your mama and I hold each other up. We will get through this, we'll be ok. When you are just too tired, you can let go. I'll take care of your mama."

House imagined that Rebecca was smiling up at Chase.

"I'm tired," she whispered as she turned on her side.

"G'night angel," Chase whispered as he leaned forward (likely to kiss her cheek or forehead), tears streaming down his face. "I love you."

"I love you too." Chase turned from the sleeping occupant and left the room in such a hurry he didn't even notice House.

With a quick glance over his shoulder House entered the room. Rebecca was asleep in her bed, two IV's attached to her wrist. She was very pretty, as any child of Chase would be. Her hair was a short sandy blonde and her skin was jaundiced yet flawless. She was small, too small for her height. He sighed as he took her chart from the edge of the bed.

**Name:** _Rebecca Cord Chase_

**DOB: **_October 23, 2000_

**Age:** _10_

**Allergies:** _Morphine _

**Illness:** _Hepatocellular carcinoma_

**Severity:** _Stage 4, terminal_

**Personal Doctor:**_ Dr. Rodney Johns_

**Attending Doctor:** _Dr. James Wilson_

**Attending Nurse:** _Nurse B. Proctor_

**Emergency Contacts:** _Robert and Sarah Chase_

He sighed to himself as he returned her chart to it's proper place. Chase had a daughter. That daughter was dying before House's own eyes. Why hadn't Chase told anyone? Why had he kept such a sick girl a secret when he had a whole team of doctors that would be ready and willing to help her?

He didn't know why he felt so sad, kids die every day, but no matter how many times he denied it, he cared about his team. He loved Chase like he would a son and that's why he cared, because losing Rebecca meant losing Chase. Sure Chase would still show up and perform his duties, but he would be gone, his soul taken from him.

"Sorry kid."

It probably wouldn't have surprised anyone if House had snuck into the closet of Rebecca's room that night, and because it wouldn't surprise anyone, that is exactly where the crippled doctor was. The closet was small and cramped, stuffed with clothes and books. His only saving grace was that he'd left the door cracked open a little so he could observe the young patient.

Sarah Chase was sitting on a chair with both her hands clutching her sleeping daughter's.

"Dear God," she whispered tears streaming down her face, "It's me again. It's 2:00 am and I'm still here in room 304. Visiting hours are over, time for our tug of war. This sleeping child between us, may not make it through the night. I'm fighting back the tears, but she fights for her life. Well, it must be kind of crowded, on the streets of Heaven. So tell me, what do you need her for? Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever? But right now, I need her so much more. She's much too young to be on her own, she barely just turned ten. So who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven?" she prayed. House leaned forward, angry with himself that there were tears in his eyes. "Lord, don't you know she's my angel, you got plenty of your own and I know you hold a place for her, but she's already got a home. Well I don't know if you're listenin' but, praying is all that's left to do. So I ask you Lord _have mercy_, you lost a son once too."

"Sarah," Chase said as entered the room, setting the horrible coffee on the side table.

"I can't lose her Robbie!" the blonde sobbed as she turned in her chair as Chase gathered her in his arms. "We already lost Karen, I can't loose Rebecca too."

"Mama?" Rebecca rasped, her dark eyes fluttering open. The small girl was obviously near death, with sunken eyes and pale white skin.

"Yea baby?" Sarah Chase whispered as she took her daughter's hand.

"I love you mama."

"I love you too baby."

The girl was fighting, fighting with every ounce of strength she had left.

"You can let go now Rebecca," Chase whispered, tears streaming down. "I love you."

"Go see Aunt Karen, Rebecca, tell her to take real good care of you," Sarah whispered sadly.

"I'll tell her mama." She turned to look at Chase.

House opened the door and stepped into the room. Under normal circumstances they would have noticed him, but Rebecca was on her death bed and they were focusing all their attention on her.

"I love you Rebecca."

"I love you too Uncle Robbie," she whispered (halting House in his steps) before an all too familiar, long beep was heard.

As House exited the room, he turned to see Sarah bury her face in her hands. Chase has his fist to his mouth as he tried to hold back the screams of agony.

"No, please," Sarah whispered as she got up, hand in front of her mouth as she ran out of the room.

It was then Chase noticed him.

"Watching a little girl die your idea of fun?" Chase asked him. "Hope it was worth it. I quit." Chase turned from House and walked down the hall, tears still falling from his eyes.

"Chase!" House called. Chase turned to look at him, pretty eyes ablaze with anger. "She was your niece?"

"Forget about it House."

Three days later House entered his office to find Sarah Chase sitting at his desk. She was dressed to impress in a little black dress that hugged her body and stopped four inches above her knee complete with a black blazer and black heels. Her blonde hair was styled in some 60's due, aided by an infomercial bumpit no doubt. She turned to face him, her face painted immaculate but the pain behind her eyes was excruciating, obviously the Chase family heiress.

"Dr. House," she said softly, turning to face him. "My name is Sarah Chase."

"I know."

"I'm Dr. Chase's sister, my daughter Rebecca was a patient here up until a few days age."

"Yes, I'm aware. Why are you here?" House asked as he limped to his desk.

"Robbie told me that you were there, paying respects to my daughter. I just, I know you didn't get to meet her, I thought maybe you would like…" she trailed off, instead handing him a photograph. He took it, staring at her. Had Chase really told her that? He looked down at it. It was Rebecca, back before the cancer – maybe seven or eight years old – laughing like there wasn't a care in the world. She was sitting on a swing, her golden hair glimmering in the sunlight and her blue eyes sparkling with joy. Chase was behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin on her shoulder.

"She was beautiful."

"Yes, she was. She loved all the stories Robbie used to tell her about you. She really wanted to meet you, said if anyone could soften your heart she could."

Sarah Chase smiled sadly as she turned to leave.

"Here, take your picture, I don't want it," House told her, throwing the picture onto the desk.

"Keep it; show Chase you care before you lose him forever." With one last sad smile, she disappeared through the door.


End file.
